The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-08-13
A GEORGIAN TRAGEDY.

Community.
MACON, Ca, Aug, Eight corpses, be.
spattered with blood and brains, lay ia
a house thirteen miles from this citv -es-
terday morning, and wer. ghastly evil
dence Of the most shocking murder ever
committed in Georgia, In the hallway, red
with blood and clotted with brains and
hair, lay a long-handled axe with which
the octuple crime had been accomplished,
The first news Of the crime was brought to
this city early yesterday morning by a
mounted messenger, whose foam
flecked horse told Of She terrible
Importance of the eTand on which
he had ridden. The news spread
through the city and surrounding country
with incredible rapidity, and when the
coroner and other county officials reached
the scene fully three thousand people were
awaiting their coming. A moro humble
structure than that in which the crime
was committed would be difficult to mag
inc. 1t is one-story building with long
veranda in front and a hallway running
through the center, into which
open four rooms. The house is the
property of Richard II. Voolfolk, re
spectacle and well-to-do white planter,
On the right on entering Is parlor, in the
rear Of which is a sleeping room which
was occupied by the following persons:
Mrs. West, an aged sister Of Mrs. Wool
folk, Pearl, Annie and Rosebud Voolfolk.
daughters of Mrs. Voolfolk. The sleep
ing-room on the left Of the entrance was
occupied by Thomas, Richard and Charles
Voolfolk, sons of Mr.. and Mrs Voolfolk.
The rear room on the left was occupied
by Mr.. and Mrs. Voolfolk and their young
est child, aged eighteen months. A CHASTITY
sight confronted those who first entered
the house after the discovery Of the crime.
In the last room the father, mother and
infant lay on the sPme bed, each reeking
with the blood of the other. The bodies
were almost lying across each other, and
their position gave evidence of an agoniz-
ing death. Across the three corpses was
slung that of the oldest daugh
Of Wesleyan Female college, with
her head beaten to pulp, and her neck and
body mutilated by blows from the
sharp blade of the axe. On the floor, in
the same mangled state, lay tho body OF
the eldest brother. 1t was evident that
Pearl and her brother had been awakened
ny CIlSb uuIlllS INC DuUCH6IluR VI Uuth
parents, and had Tushe into the room to
learn the cause only to share their fate.
! On the bed in the opposite room lay the
body of Mrs. West, soaked in her own
blood and her brains oozing from her
head, which, like that of the victims in the
other room, was also crushed into shape
less mass. On the same bed lay the body
of Annie Voolfolk, with her head cloven
in twain; by the window, on the floor, in
an attitude of suppHcation, lay the body
of Rosebud Voolfolk, with the left side Of
her face and head so mangled as TO make
recognition almost imp ossible.
The sight mad, the strongest hearts
sick; even the ceilings and walls were be-
spattered with blood and brains, while
here and there pieces of flesh which had
been flung from the uplifted axe chung TO
the walls and wainscoting. The bedding
was soaked with the crimson life blood,
and on the floor sickening pools had
formed.
AS soon as the officials could collect their
senses steps to investigate the crime were
begun. T. G. Voolfolk, the only survivor
of the family, was questioned closely, and
his replies were of such nature that sus
picion quickly pointed to him as being
guilty of the crime. Voolfolk was imme
diately placed under arrest. He protested
his innocence, but viewed the blood
despatched bodies with such unnatural
composure that the crowd was soon infu
rated and clamoring for his life. The
coroner and other officials rallied around
the prisoner and held the crowd at bay, al
the same time urging that the man be Civ
EN- chance to prove his innocence il posi-
BILE. These pleadings eventually impressed
the throng, and it was agreed TO await the
result of the coroner's inquest, provided il
be held Immediately. The coroner accord
ingly impaneled a jury and proceeded
with the investigation.
LATER AND FULLER DETAILS
from the scene of the Voolfolk tragedy
develop the fact that there were nine vic.
TINS instead of eight as reported
and Mrs. r. f. Voolfolk, their six children,
ranging in ages from sixteen months &c
twenty years, and Mrs. West, an aunt
of Mrs. Voolfolk, aged sixty.
, The coroner's jury found a verdict OF
murder against Thomas q. Voolfolk, son
of the Captains first wife, who was sleep
ing in the house. His statement was that
some time before daybreak he was aroused
,, by groans and the sound Of blows coming
from his parents room. His half brother
Richard, ran into the room which adjoined
his, and, thinking that murder wac
: being committed, no (ThomasI
jumped from window In bis
night clothes and bare feet and ran TO the
house Of negro three hundred or -four
hundred yards distant TO get them tc
arouse the neighborhood. He says he wa,
afraid TO return, fearing that he himself
would be murdered, but went back after
half an hoar. No help had arrived, and h.
went in to see if the family had been muir
dered. He found them all dead. Il,
, stepped in pool of blood in passing anc
left footprints on the floor. He found hi,
. stepmother lying so that her head was OIL
the floor and her body on the bed. H,
= raised her up and placed her on the bed
!. He then changed his clothes.